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A woman looks through a small window in a dark room
Photo by Mario Azzi on Unsplash

I am captured in the moment,
feeling the emotions of reality
charge my body.

I am captured in my own skin,
being oppressed by the world, forced
into seclusion.

I am captured by the title of
felon, having to live with the stigma
and prove it wrong.

I am captured in prison,
treated like an animal and referred to
by a number.

I am captured in the state of Virginia,
where the government is more worried
about money than rehabilitation.

I am captured, and I am striving to
be set free of my afflictions.

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Miranda Gilbert is a poet incarcerated in Virginia.